Which food?

[theSnuffster]

We're getting two kittens soon. The lady we are getting them from said they're on whiskas at the moment (they were originally meant to be going to another family who asked that she use that brand as it's what they can get easily in their local shop) but she said she personally prefers iams and would never use whiskas with her own cats.

We're happy to stick with whiskas, but if that's not great nutritionally I'm happy to change to something better quality.

I know that if we do change over we need to do it very gradually.

I know that whiskers is not the best food. But it is all my cat will eat as dried food. And felix pouches as well. Again. Not good cat food but it is literally the only ones he will eat. I have spent so much money on others but nope.

I tried changing and just leaving it until he ate it. He just went else were to eat and we nearly lost him.

I would start as u mean to go on with good quality food. I’m not sure which ones are the best. But worth reading other replies. I wish I could get mine to eat better. Saying that my mums cat was on whiskers for 18 years and was never ill

Thank you. I'd definitely like to make sure they have a good quality diet.

But you have a point.... my grandparents have had 3 cats, I think one made it to 18 and the other to 16- and their current cat is 16 or 17 now and still going strong- all fed whatever was cheapest or on offer in the supermarket at the time!

I have a bit of a problem now. She's changing them over to purina before they come to us- we've looked in several local shops and can't find any! All we can find is a pack of purina one kitten dry food. She definitely said wet food. I can't work out where she's buying it from!?

(Also- wow it's expensive!)

She's not giving them adult food is she? Purina does adult pouches

Is it Purina pro plan as it does a junior food?

If it is that then they sell it in pets at home

Ideally something grain free and high protein. You won't find that in your local super market though. I use Animonda Carny Kitten food for all my foster kittens, the saver packs of the larger cans from ZooPlus work out cheaper than Felix As Good As It Looks pouches for example (and the cans are recyclable unlike pouches!).

She definitely said purina kitten food!

See above post as Purina pro plan has a kitten food sold in pets at home

Hope it's not Go Cat as that really is a crap food for cats/ kittens

Thank you. She seemed to know what she was talking about, so I don't think it'd be go cat.

There are several Purina brands in the UK. Not all do kitten food

Picture didn't seem to attach

Oops it has now

Ah ok- I had no idea! I saw that go cat was a purina product but didn't notice the others. I really should've looked more closely.... To be fair I had to do it in secret as the kids were with me and they don't know about the kittens yet 🙊

You want a grain free, sugar free food. The sugar is key as once they’re on that, they grow to like it and are then often reluctant to eat better quality food. Natures menu is a good brand of wet food, so is Lily’s Kitchen.

I am another vote for lily’s kitchen. Sainsbury’s do the adult food and you can get the kitten food in pets at hom or on amazon.

Thrive kitten is also excellent. Really high meat content, no grain and no sugar.

My kitten loves both. They are more expensive but she eats less of them because they are much more nutritious.

I have all my cats (four in total) on a raw meat diet, which is the best diet for cats as it’s biologically appropriate for them. I’d never give them biscuits or tinned meat as I think it’s the equivalent of feeding you kid a McDonald’s every meal.

I get the raw minced meat from a local company who deliver it in frozen packets. They get beef, chicken, lamb, and the occasional whole prey such as chicks and rabbit. It’s very affordable, I pay £1 for 500g if raw meat and they eat about 500g per day, just under.

They are very healthy, their coats shine and they don’t shed at all. I think a lot of what you read regarding tinned food and biscuits is very biased as the companies want you to buy their products.

Cats wouldn’t eat the same old same old cooked meat/biscuits every single day if they were in the wild. It would be varied fresh raw meat as nature intended and this is what I try to give my cats.

And another thing, feeding kittens on mushed up, starch based foods is totally unnecessary. Kittens absolutely adore raw meat and will happily devour a whole chick, even young kittens (6 weeks old) and generally prefer raw meat to tinned stuff if offered a choice.

God my kitten hated Lilys, like seriously pulled a face as if saying "what is this fresh hell you are feeding me?" I ended up feeding the foxes/ hedgehogs with it as none of the cats would touch it with a barge pole. Poshest wildlife nosh around for 2 weeks!

All mine are fed on whatever is on special offer or Tesco/ Sainsburys own brand food (they do kitten versions) which they wolf down.

Regarding dry food the kitten tends to love a mix of kitten whiskas and kitten chicken Harringtons (but not separately the odd bugger) and the old girls do like Harringtons chicken adult dry food. Harringtons has a decent % of chicken in it and I get mine from Tescos.

Oh and they get raw chicken/ meat when I'm cooking (anything I'n not cooking with basically) in the evening during the week as well, even the skin! (cut up small for the kitten).

I noticed that Sainsbury's own brand wet kitten/cat food is grain free and cheaper than Felix etc. Is it any good?

Mine are on Millie’s Lionheart wet and dry. 80% meat grain free.

@Rockbird i get the Sainsbury's own brand grain free occasionally. When we first got it she absolutely wolfed it down but then got bored, so I alternate it with several others. I think it's better quality than Felix and a higher meat content (though not super high like some others!) And like you say much cheaper. I'd give it a go

I feed my cat Leonardo Wet Food. It is a bit expensive but very high quality plus my cat loves it.
I am in Germany but Zooplus sells it in the UK as well: www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/canned_cat_food_pouches/leonardo